THE PRESIDENT: I just had a fascinating discussion with members of my
administration and some of our citizens who deeply care about the future
of the country. Laura and I want to thank you all for joining us. We
had two people who actually study the importance of volunteerism for the
health of the country.

A couple points I'd like to make. One, we are a nation of people who
take time out of their lives on a regular basis to help a fellow citizen
realize the full potential of America. We've got a lot of people
volunteering in the country, and one of my calls is for people to do
more of it. And there's plenty of opportunities to find out where you
can volunteer. You can go, for example, on the USAFreedomCorps.gov web
page and you can find programs close to you that will give you an
opportunity to follow your heart.

Secondly, I fully recognize there's an important role for government in
our society, but I also want our fellow citizens to know there's a
really important role for you. If you're concerned about the future of
America, you can volunteer to help make our future brighter. You can
mentor a child, you can teach somebody to read, you can go visit the
elderly, you can feed the hungry, you can find shelter for the homeless,
and you'll make a significant contribution to America. And as you do
so, you'll find you make a significant contribution to your own self
worth and your own soul.

We're heralding volunteerism here today. It is a really important
aspect of American society. I'm proud of our fellow citizens who have
answered the call. I encourage you to continue on. And for those of
you who want to enrich your own life, you can find a way to volunteer
and help somebody else, and it will do just that.

So thank you all for joining us. Appreciate your good work. God bless
those of you who are volunteering.